Mo Li finished packing her things. She took off her gloves and walked out with her bag. The remaining 3 tenants looked at her go.
“That’s all? Should we inform the funeral parlor to pick up the girl?” The local officer asked Mo Li.
“No, send her to the station. We need to perform a further autopsy on her.” Mo Li said coldly as she fixed her eyes on the couple. Everyone present, including Xiao Rui, was stunned.
“Isn’t her death an accident? Why the need for an autopsy?” The local police officer was shocked, he couldn’t believe his ears. He thought Mo Li was just joking so he turned to Xiao Rui for clarification.
“No, I refuse! I won’t allow her to be cut into pieces after she is dead!” The wife suddenly jumped up, frightening Zhou Chi beside her.
“If the family member doesn’t agree, then perhaps we should…” The local police officer wanted to resolve this quickly. He pulled Xiao Rui aside. “Sir, do we really need to do this?”
Mo Li looked at the rotund wife and said, “According to criminal law, once the police suspect it is a criminal cause, the police have the right to decide whether to perform an autopsy on victims. Furthermore, you are not the family of the victim, you have no right to interfere.” Mo Li concluded firmly.
Xiao Rui signaled for the officers to hold the woman back. He agreed with Mo Li. Mo Li added, “Bring along the mahogany sword and look into the victim’s year of birth.”
When Qin Xuan was in the car, he asked carefully. “Mo Li, didn’t the girl die from an illness?”
“As humans, we will have presumptions but we shouldn’t allow them to cloud our judgments.” Mo Li said slowly, “The worst thing to happen to a coroner is to be blinded by appearances.”
Qin Xuan licked his lips. He was lost for words. Mo Li was right. In his mind, he already ruled out the witnesses as possible murderers so naturally, he assumed the victim had died from natural causes.
“Plus, you’ll see that this autopsy is necessary.” Mo Li turned to Qin Xuan. “When we don’t have much evidence, it is easy to come to the wrong conclusion. We mustn’t follow what other people say. We must be extremely cautious in our line of work.”
Qin Xuan nodded but he still seemed a little unconvinced. “But, Mo Li, the deceased did indeed fit the signs of an ill-timed death. Yes, there is that strange white spot but…”
“We’ll know more when we cut her open.”
They returned to the morgue. “The couple and Zhou Chi have been brought to the station for questioning.” Xiao Rui was highly effective. Once he read Mo Li’s intentions, he hauled all the witnesses to the station.
“You should be prepared for your first autopsy. Go ahead.” Mo Li surprised Qin Xuan. The latter was very nervous. Mo Li handed him the gloves and gown. Qin Xuan swallowed nervously. He put on the gown clumsily. He grabbed the scalpel and forceps and almost tripped. Mo Li chuckled.
The two of them examined the victim’s mouth cavity. They cut through a suspicious indentation but there was no sign of bleeding. Then Qin Xuan examined the victim’s chest cavity. There was no sign of external trauma. “So it is confirmed that she didn’t die from mechanical asphyxia.”Qin Xuan raised his head and looked at Mo Li.
“Let’s move to the head next.” Mo Li announced. “Go ahead.” Mo Li looked at Qin Xuan.
Qin Xuan swallowed nervously. This was his first time shaving someone’s head. He took a long time before he completely shaved off the woman’s hair. Then he imitated Mo Li and started the incision at the back of the victim’s left ear. His hands were shaking. When the scalpel cut through the skin, Qin Xuan’s skin rose with goosebumps.
He peeled off the scalp to reveal the victim’s skull. Qin Xuan grabbed the computer saw to cut through the cranium.
There was no sign of damage to the deceased’s brain tissue. The brain, dura mater were removed to reveal the base of the skull.
“As I expected.” Mo Li said after taking a look. “Tell me what do you see?”
Qin Xuan leaned to look. “I… I… I see nothing wrong.”